Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday said it was the roof of the kitchen at the newly constructed Mambukal Convention Hotel in Murcia, Negros Occidental, that collapsed.

Lacson said he went to the provincial-government owned Mambukal Resort yesterday to see for himself the extent of the damage at the hotel.

“What is important right now is to assure the public of the structural integrity of the building,” Lacson said.

He suggested that a third party validation of the structural integrity of the hotel be made before it is turned over to the Negros Occidental provincial government. “We can always hire local architects to come up with their assessment of the whole building,” he said.

The construction of the hotel is almost complete except for the putting in of furniture and fixtures, Lacson said.

Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa assured yesterday that a project engineer from his office has been monitoring the work of Alfies Construction, and that the damage did not affect the structural integrity of the new hotel.

It appears that strong wind caused the branches of a mahogany tree to slam into the parapet of the 4-storey hotel, causing its debris to fall on the roof of the kitchen, he said.

A parapet is a barrier which is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, he said.

The damaged area has been cleared of the debris and repair of the kitchen roof is underway, Mapa said.

Except for a few minor matters, the construction of the hotel has been completed and is expected to be turned over to the provincial government next month, Mapa said.

The vice governor questioned the use of chicken wire as part of the barriers at the balconies of every room of the hotel.

“I hope the contractor would reconsider and replace those chicken wires,” that lookvery inappropriate for a convention hotel, he said.

A source close to the contractor said the chicken wire was used based on the design given by the provincial government.

Mapa said the chicken wirewill be used to allow vines to crawl on them to put a touch of nature to the hotel’s look.

“I would like to think that the governor will demand an explanation or a status report on what happened and I hope the SP (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) will be provided a copy,” Lacson said.

“I am confident the contractor would be able to rectify the situation. We know him as a contractor of good standing who has been in the business for years,” he said.

It is unfortunate that the incident happened, Lacson said, adding he is confident that the damage will be repaired so the turnover of the hotel can be made soon.

The provincial government had allocated P84 million for the construction of the Mambukal Convention Hotel and Tourist Lodge.*